Technology
Positive signs for Microsoft technology
Even though it is late entering the game, Microsoft remains optimistic about cornering a share of the tablet and smartphone markets based on the strength of its technology. Bloomberg, citing three people familiar with the situation, reports that Microsoft will debut a Windows operating system for Tablet PCs at the All Things D conference next…
Marketfish raises $4.5 million
Seattle startup Marketfish, which sells lists of e-mail addresses for targeted online marketing campaigns, raised $4.5 million in financing and named Lyris Technologies veteran David Fowler its Chief Privacy and Deliverability Officer, according to Geekwire. Markefish now boasts $8 million in total financing, with the latest round coming from Rustic Canyon and Javelin Ventures. The…
Microsoft buying Skype for $8.5 billion
Microsoft announced Tuesday that it’s buying the internet phone company Skype for $8.5 billion, making it the largest acquisition in Microsoft’s history. Founded in 2003, Luxembourg-based Skype connects users via internet-based telephony and video, mostly at no charge. Skype will become a division of Microsoft. CEO Steve Ballmer called it “a phenomenal service that is…
Academy of Interactive Entertainment Lands at the Seattle Center
The Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), a non-profit academic institution providing vocational training for the digital media industries, signed a lease with the Seattle Center and will be opening their doors to students in June, according to a press release jointly issued by the AIE and the Washington Interactive Network, an industry association representing the…
Smooth Operator
Its the ease with which you can surf the web or check your email that has made the smartphone such a popular gadget. And, while corporate giants like Google, Microsoft and Apple get well-deserved credit for providing the basic operating systems that power these magical devices, there are plenty of other software providers that play…
Young’s appointment as UW president bodes well for tech-transfer effort
The University of Washingtons Center for Commercialization (C4C) is most likely applauding the appointment of University of Utah President Michael Young as the UWs next president. Youngs appointment, announced Monday by the UW Board of Regents, brings to Montlake an administrator who oversaw one of the nations leading endeavors in turning scholarly research into commercial…
F5 Networks sees its stock price soar
Shares of Seattle-based F5 Networks climbed sharply Wednesday after the company released an earnings report that beat Wall Street projections. F5 shares gained 7 percent to just under $100 a share during normal trading, and rose an additional 12 percent to $112.30 a share after the closing bell. The company, whose hardware and software allow…
AT&T’s Proposed $39 Billion Acquisition of T-Mobile Could Mean Local Layoffs
AT&T announced it will buy T-Mobile USA, the nation’s fourth largest carrier from Deutsche Telekom, pending regulatory approval. The merger would push AT&T, the nation’s second largest wireless carrier, ahead of first place Verizon, giving the combined company 129 million subscribers compared to Verizon’s 102 million subscribers. AT&T said merging the two companies would result…
Redmond Laser Tech Company Trims Workforce
Microvision, a Redmond-based laser technology company, plans to trim its workforce by 20 percent following a weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings forecast. The companys stockprice fell by 20 percent following news of the report and cutbacks. The company forecast a fourth-quarter loss of between $15.3 and $15.8 million. The company expects to see revenues of $683,000, down…
Will Nokia Help Put the Windows Smartphone in the Game?
Nokia and Microsoft both saw their share prices fall in recent days in the wake of a strategic alliance focused on smart phones. The market drop suggests investors are unimpressed with Microsoft’s apparent promise to spend billions of dollars to support Nokia’s research and marketing in exchange for Nokia’s decision to put the new Windows…
State of Play
Photograph by Hayley Young David Bluhm thinks the next big evolution in mobile gaming is connected featureslike multiplayer technologies and live chatthat encourage friend-to-friend interaction during game play. Have a short window of downtime on a bus, in a waiting room or between meetings? Bluhms new companySeattle-based Z2Livewill connect you with others to play, compete…
Tech Association Announces Industry Achievement Finalists
The Washington Technology Industry Association announced the finalists for its 16th annual Industry Achievement Awards. The awards recognize innovation and excellence within the technology industry in Washington State. Most of the companies mentioned have been featured in the pages of Seattle Business magazine. The finalists are: Commercial Product or Service of the Year: DocuSign; Isilon…
